The Path of Stars
by Coffee Bean1
Summary: Gaia is lonely and wishes to dapart from her problems. One starry night she utters she desperate wish and is thrown into the depths of time.
1. The Solace of the Stars

            Gaia looked up at the stars. They were so beautiful. Stars had always fascinated her. Ever since she was a small child, she had come here to see them. Here was a meadow. It was on the back of her parent's property. There were no lights around and it was perfect for seeing stars. She came every Sunday night to watch the stars. Sometimes she came more often then that. They were enchanting and helped to wash away the loneliness that so often plagued her at school. She was what you would call a loner. She didn't like human kind in general. They were devious and evil. Not all but most, and she didn't want to waste her time trying to sort out the good from the bad. It was safer to hide and stay away from them all. Love was a poison, slowly threading its way through your veins, choking you of your life. Friendship was a dagger, poised above the heart, ready to turn and plunge into the breast of the victim. This she had learned. She had learned it all to well. Tears began to leak down her pale cheeks. Her light grey eyes searched the sky. 

            "Is anyone out there?" she asked the stars "Is there anyone out there worth the pain and hurt any form of love eventually brings?" Gaia paused. "No, there isn't" she asked herself this question constantly and always came to the same answer. She stood up suddenly. Her silhouette against the starry sky must have been beautiful. Her long black hair blown by the wind, her lovely face illuminated by the pale moonlight, her lean, lithe form poised. She was waiting, for something. She did not know what, but she was waiting for it to come. She looked own at the tall grass around her ankles. 

            "I wish I was anywhere but here." She whispered mournfully. She looked back up into the sky. The stars seemed to be twinkling. Then they began to dance. She felt her body become light as a feather and she began to float toward them. What is going on? She asked herself, but didn't resist. She was being taken away from her problems, from Earth. So she offered no resistance and let herself be taken into the starry depths of time.


	2. The Evil Intent

            A man in stained mage robes busies around a small workshop. He has been preparing for this moment for years and does not want to ruin all his work because of anticipation. He looks to a chart and the sun catches his face. His dark eyes twinkle maliciously and his face is marked by the evil thoughts that constantly circulate through his head. 

            "She is coming!" he whispers feverishly as he begins the incantation. He sways and mummers in a strange language. An evil gleam cast the room in bloody light. The light grows brighter and brighter. The mage's voice grows stronger until he is screaming at the top of his lungs. Suddenly the light begins to fade and the mage's voice drops back to a whisper. He watches a small ball of red light that hovers in the center of the dirty workroom. He takes a step forward and peers into it. Inside is a picture of a girl. She has long black hair and light grey eyes. The mage smiles greedily. 

            "She is perfect." The ball begins to grow, larger and larger until it is human size, then the girl steps out. 


	3. A Blood Red Gem

**_            Gaia opened her eyes hoping to see the friendly stars that had always surrounded her. Instead, she saw a dirty workroom filled with strange wooden bowls. She heard something behind her and whirled around. She saw a man in dirty robes staring at her fixedly. She backed away from him. _**

**_            "Who are you?" she asked horrified._**

**_            "I am _****_William_********_Tasbane_****_, The Dark Wizard of the Shadows." He said grandly, then he paused, "Well I will be, with you at my side." He took a step towards her. "You are the key, you are my only hope!" Gaia backed up until she ran into one of the tables. The man had a maniac look in his eye._**

**_            "What are you talking about? I am not a key to anything!" Gaia said._**

**_            "You must be. The spell I wove called for one who would bring about the destruction of the Light." He said, sounding supremely delighted with himself. "It was a rather difficult spell, but here you are." He smiled at her._**

**_            "And what do you intend to do with me?" Gaia asked somewhat fearfully, this man was clearly out of his mind. He was talking about spells and magic. Suddenly he laughed._**

**_            "Why my little pet, you're presence alone is all that should be needed, but I will be taking certain precautions." He added slyly. He whispered several words and a yellow glow surrounded Gaia an instant before dissipating. Gaia opened her mouth to speak but found she couldn't. Panic rose up inside her. She fought to run but found her legs wouldn't cooperate. Talsbane smiled cruelly. She fought with all her strength to gain the freedom of movement. He waved his hand almost carelessly. Gaia's entire body seemed to go aflame with pain. Every muscle cramped up. He brain pleaded with the powers that be to let it stop. She would do anything to make it stop. Suddenly it did stop._**

**_            "Anything my pet, you would do anything?" he asked, his smile widening. Yes, her brain screamed yes, anything! "Good, now listen up. You will infiltrate the Fellowship of the Ring. One among them is the bearer of a ring. You will know it when you see it; it will call out to you. Your job is to steal the ring and kill the one who bears it. Then you will journey to Mordor and present it to Sauron. Do you understand?" he asked with a lazy wave of his hand. Gaia suddenly found herself in control of her own body again; she nodded tears streaming down her cheeks. He reached down into the pocket of one of his mage robes, from the depths he drew forth a small, blood red stone that dangled on a thin gold chain. He fastened it around Gaia's neck. _**

**_            "This will allow me to keep watch over you my pet." He crooned in her ear. Gaia recoiled away from him. She tripped over a stool in her haste and fell. She curled up into a ball, trying to keep from crying. She didn't know where she was, this had to be some type of dream. Yes, that's it. It was a dream, a nightmare and soon she would wake up. But for now, she had to go with it. She had learned long ago that nightmares only get worse when you try to fight them. _**


	4. Orcs

A/N: I changed the wizard's name from William Talsbane to Jar'baln because William isn't a very evil name. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

Gaia was violently thrown to the ground. She struggled to her feet as the nasty demonic creature, Jar'baln had called them Orcs, in front of her tugged the chains that bound her wrist. She let out an anguished cry of despair as the pitted metal dug into the raw skin. There were three other monstrosities with her. Their stench was nearly overpowering and Gaia was sick with it. 

She had been drug across the countryside for the last three days. And the week before that she had been in 'intensive training' with Jar'baln. He had drilled her in her new lineage, her family, and her name. She was now Gaia Heartstaff, born of Bree. Her mother was Lareen Heartstaff, a local woman who worked in the bakery. Her father was Jonas Heartstaff, a shepherd. She was an only child and had left Bree to visit her aunt and uncle. 

She was traveling with her mother and father and they were ambushed by the party of Orcs. She had been traveling with the Orcs so long she had lost track of time and didn't know where her aunt and uncle lived, she had been dependant on her father to lead them there.

She had learned quickly and well, careful to avoid misstep. Jar'baln was not a patient teacher. She had long forgotten the theory of the entire thing being a nightmare. She didn't know what she believed, but she knew she wanted to live. She let out another yell as she tripped over something. She rose herself wearily, bracing herself the inevitable lash of a whip. When she didn't feel it, she looked down at what she had fallen over, it was the lead Orc. She scrambled off of it. There was a large axe protruding from its chest. Pandemonium ensued as the remaining Orcs attempted to seek out the attacker. Two arrows bloomed in the chest of one of them. Suddenly two men leapt out of the under brush and attacked last two, cutting them down with an expert thrust of the sword. 

Gaia watched the entire episode with a grim sense of justice, even relief. The nightmares were dead, the last remaining influence of Jar'baln. She winced as a burning pain lanced through her chest. Her hand flew to her shirt, and withdrew the necklace that Jar'baln had given her. 

"You are never free of me, my pet." A sinister voice whispered in her mind. She shivered. Then, a shadow fell across her. She looked up quickly. A man looked down at her. He had tired blue eyes and his face held a quiet dignity. He was holding a great sword that was stained with black blood of the Orcs. He looked at her with a mixture of worry and suspicion. She relized what she must look like to him. 

Her once silky black hair now hung in greasy clumps of tangles and snags. Her pale face was bruised and covered with mud, tear trails made pale stripes down her sunken cheeks. Her clothes were bloody and ripped. She huddled on the ground, her wrist still bound. 

Gaia struggled to her feet to face the man, eye to eye, but her legs refused to hold her and the ground rushed up to meet her.  


End file.
